


Wonderful

by twtd



Series: Freddie Lister's Wonderful Life [1]
Category: Gentleman Jack (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bar/Pub, Alternate Universe - College/University, Ann is a cinnamon roll and must be protected, Anne striding around like she owns the place, Cunnilingus, F/F, Gender Roles, Motorcycles, Mutual Masturbation, Podfic & Podficced Works, She does own the place, and the exploration thereof
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-16
Updated: 2019-05-16
Packaged: 2020-03-06 13:03:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,573
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18851614
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/twtd/pseuds/twtd
Summary: Freddie Lister owns a bar in a university town. She's just gotten her heart broken by a straight woman, but there might be someone on the horizon to help mend her broken heart.Freddie sighed as she polished a glass. It was already perfectly clean but she needed something to do with her hands. She got anxious if she was too still. Straight women. She was more than old enough to know better than to get entangled with a straight woman, but she'd done it anyway and now Vere was marrying a man– just like Freddie knew she would in the beginning. But like one of the baby dykes she often served at her bar, she'd run head first into bad decision after bad decision where Vere was concerned and she couldn't blame her bruised heart on anyone other than herself.





	Wonderful

**Author's Note:**

> I got into a conversation with a couple of people about how to translate Anne Lister into the modern world and this fic is the result. It's complete fluff. Don't expect any sort of conflict, which might be for the best after everything that happened in 01x04. 
> 
> Thanks to metatext and nike-sga for listening to me ramble and bitch about this as I wrote it.
> 
> Available as a podfic here: https://anchor.fm/femslash-podfic/episodes/6-a--Wonderful-A-Gentleman-Jack-fic-by-twtd-e49sfp

Freddie sighed as she polished a glass. It was already perfectly clean but she needed something to do with her hands. She got anxious if she was too still. Straight women. She was more than old enough to know better than to get entangled with a straight woman, but she'd done it anyway and now Vere was marrying a man– just like Freddie knew she would in the beginning. But like one of the baby dykes she often served at her bar, she'd run head first into bad decision after bad decision where Vere was concerned and she couldn't blame her bruised heart on anyone other than herself. 

Still, that didn't mean she wanted to linger over it. She put the glass down, enjoying the way it clinked into place among its fellows then smoothed down her necktie where it disappeared under her waistcoat, which she tugged straight. She needed to check on Thomas. He was in the back doing inventory in preparation for the weekend, one of their biggest of the year outside of Pride. The academic term was about to start and all of the students, children really, would be back in town and anxious to meet up with their friends. For the queer population of the local university, that meant a trip to her bar, to _Anne's_ , to get thoroughly pissed before they went to one of the nearby clubs to dance until dawn. 

By all accounts, as her manager, Washington should have been supervising Thomas, but Freddie needed a distraction and watching the boy sweat under her glare would do. 

She pushed away from the bar, the heels of her boots tapping authoritatively as she strode toward the back room. Yes, watching Thomas would do nicely.

* * *

"We're not open yet," Freddie called out not looking up from her books as the door to the bar opened. She had no time for tourists who couldn't read the posted hours. And it was always, invariably, tourists. 

"Oh, no," a timid voice came from the doorway. "That isn't… what I mean is…" 

"Look, whatever you're…" Freddie pursed her lips as she looked up, prepared to tear into whoever was disturbing the quiet of her bar before the appointed hour. As soon as she caught sight of the intruder, she stopped. The woman… the woman… Freddie stared. She knew she was staring. She couldn't stop staring. What sort of vision had just walked into her bar? 

"I'm terribly sorry, but you see, I'm a bit lost and my battery's dead." The woman held up her phone as she looked at Freddie sheepishly. 

"Right. Of course." Freddie motioned her closer. "Come in. Come in." It wasn't every day that a woman like this entered Freddie's bar. Well dressed, possibly too well dressed for the town, and ethereally beautiful. And clearly in need of help. Freddie wiped her hands off then carefully walked out from behind the bar. She didn't want to scare the woman off after all. She put on her most charming smile, the one that assured that most anyone she was talking to would fall under her spell. 

The woman tentatively smiled back. 

"Come, have a seat. We'll get you straightened out in no time." Freddie pulled out a chair from the nearest table and offered it to the woman. "Can I get you some water?" She was already walking back to the bar and pulling out a glass. 

"Oh, no that isn't…" 

"Nonsense." Freddie filled the glass and carried it over to the table. She placed it down in front of the woman and pulled out a chair of her own. 

"Well, I suppose I am a bit thirsty." The woman took a sip of water as Ann looked on encouragingly. 

"Good. Excellent." Freddie's smile grew as the woman put the water glass down. "Now, just where are you trying to get to that's got you so turned around?" She leaned forward, forearms braced on knees, encroaching into the woman's space. 

"Oh, home. You see, I've only just moved to town and I don't quite know my way around yet." The woman took another sip of water before nervously setting the glass down again. "Would you… That is, would you mind terribly giving me some directions? That is if it isn't too much trouble?" 

"Don't worry Miss…?" Freddie raised her eyebrows in question. 

"Walker. Well, Ann, really. Only my students have ever called me Ms. Walker."

"Students?" 

"Mmm." Miss Walker nodded. "I'm a lecturer at the university. Or I will be once term starts." Miss Walker looked down at her hands then back up at Freddie. 

"What do you teach?" Freddie asked with frank curiosity. 

The other woman lit up at the question. "Art. I'm a painter, you see."

"Are you any good?" Freddie wondered how Miss Walker would answer and searched her face for a hint. 

Blushing furiously, Miss Walker answered, "Some people seem to think so. Well enough for me to get this job, at least."

Miss Walker was charming. Freddie was charmed. She needed to spend more time with Miss Walker and this gave her the perfect opportunity. "Well, then I would love to come to an exhibition or some such and see for myself." 

"Oh," Miss Walker exclaimed as she put a hand to her cheek. "That really isn't… That is to say, I'm not sure…" Miss Walker looked down again. "That's very nice of you to say. I'll remember to let you know when my next exhibition is. If I can ever find this bar again." She laughed lightly and Freddie already desperately wanted to hear that laugh again. 

"Don't you worry about that." Freddie reached into a pocket of her waistcoat, the one that didn't hold her pocket watch, and produced a card. She turned it over and placed it on the table, pulling out a pen and writing a number down on the back. She handed it to Miss Walker with a flourish. "Now you have both our address and my phone number."

"Thank you." Miss Walker took the card and slipped it into her purse. Her eyes were wide and she looked slightly overwhelmed. It was time to send the charming Miss Walker on her way before Freddie scared her off entirely. 

"Right. You'll be wanting to get home." Freddie stood up.

"Yes, please." Miss Walker stood up as well, gathering her shopping bag full of art supplies and her purse. 

"Well, don't worry, Miss Walker. We'll get you sorted right out." Freddie took Miss Walker's hand and rubbed the back of it. Clearly, this was a woman who required care. Simply running roughshod over her wouldn't work. Not if Freddie wanted to see her again. And she thought, perhaps, she very much did want to see Miss Walker again. "Now, what's your address?"

* * *

Freddie returned to the bar after seeing Miss Walker down the street to the corner where she needed to turn to head home. It turned out Miss Walker lived over in Crow Nest, a part of town far nicer than where the typical university lecturer lived, and not all that far from Shibden, Freddie's own neighborhood. That added a layer to Freddie's interest in her, not because she was a gold digger, Freddie had more than enough gold herself, but because it meant there was more to Miss Walker than met the eye. Still, she had refrained from asking just then. There would be time enough to find out more about Miss Walker. 

"New conquest on the horizon?" Washington called out from the back room as he walked through the door into the bar proper. It was nearly time for them to open for the evening. Freddie collected the books from the bar and headed back to meet him. 

"Don't be crude." Freddie sniffed. "She just stopped in for some directions." 

"Which you clearly had no problem providing her with, despite your legendary disinterest in the affairs of us mere mortals." Washington leaned against the doorway blocking Freddie's progress while he waited for an answer. 

"Oh, do get out of the way." Freddie slapped the back of her hand against Washington's stomach as she squeezed past him and into the hallway that would take her to her office. She rarely spent much time there, but she needed to return the books to her desk before the evening crowd arrived. 

Washington laughed at her back. "Whatever you say, Miss Lister. Whatever you say."

* * *

Freddie opened the door to her house and stepped inside, hand already at her neck loosening her tie. She headed straight to the kitchen and started opening the cabinets. Marian would have gone grocery shopping for her earlier in the day, which meant Freddie only knew where half of the things in the pantry might be. She rattled around digging out bread and sandwich meat and other accouterments for her late night meal.

Sandwich assembled, Freddie pulled out a chair at the kitchen table and started to eat. As she did, her thoughts kept coming back around to the lovely Miss Walker. Ann. Freddie sighed, already composing her diary entry for the night, which she would write down when she went up to her bedroom. 

She would see the lovely Miss Walker again. Of that, she was certain. No matter what she had to do to finagle an audience, she would do it. Maybe she would send flowers to Miss Walker at her office. To congratulate her on her new position and the start of the term. Yes, that sounded like an excellent idea.

* * *

The crowd at _Anne's_ was already substantial when Freddie walked through the doorway. Fresher's Week. God, she despised Fresher's Week. It seemed everyone in her bar was wearing bright orange and had hair in some absurd shade or the other. Blue, purple, pink, green. The cacophony of colors got brighter every year, hurting her eyes and inducing a headache she didn't need. 

She'd thought once of banning anyone wearing ridiculous outfits from her bar but Washington had talked her out of it. Her bank account benefited from the glut of children ordering just one more shot of tequila and the logistics of keeping them out was another headache in itself. As much as she despised the practice, Washington had been right, and so for one week a year, she put up with the teenager induced chaos. 

Still, that didn't mean she needed to be a part of the absurdity. She waded straight through the crowd, pushing away the drunken students with naked disdain. She glanced over at the bar but Thomas and his compatriots seemed to be holding their own with the crowd leaving her free to shut herself in her office. 

She stood behind her desk and looked down at the various pieces of paper, flipping through them with barely a glance. Washington would take care of the more mundane tasks leaving her to deal with anything of true importance. There was nothing of note that night leaving her at loose ends for something to do. Normally, she would join Thomas behind the bar but certainly not that night. She rubbed her forehead hoping to dispell her headache. 

Freddie pulled out her chair and sat down. She hated hiding in her office. It wasn't in her nature to stay away from the action. She tapped her fingers against her desk. What to do? What to do? She had just resolved to brave the hoard of freshers when someone tapped on her office door. 

"Yes?" she called out, looking up with interest. Thomas pushed the door open and looked nervous. 

"There's an Ann Walker asking after you, Miss Lister. Thinks that you're a bartender or some'at" Thomas nodded back down the hallway.

Miss Walker! Ann! Freddie's heart thrummed in her chest. How unexpected that the woman would come to her. How delightful.

"D'you want me to send her on her way?" Thomas asked.

Freddie frowned. "No. Not at all." She looked around the room making sure it was fit for company. "Quite the opposite. Show her back."

Thomas nodded, saying, "Yes, Miss Lister," before he disappeared from the doorway. 

Miss Walker had come back! Freddie looked up as a smile blossomed on her face. Spurred into action, she quickly cleared off the top of her desk, straightening it as much as possible in the few moments she had before she would be in Miss Walker's presence. 

Then, Miss Walker was there, standing in the doorway as Thomas opened the door for her. They stared at each other across the expanse as Freddie's mind whirled. She stood up behind her desk. 

"Miss Walker, do come in." Freddie opened her arms in welcome before coming around the desk and pulling out the one extra chair she kept in the room. 

"Thank you." Miss Walker smiled demurely and joined Freddie in the office, carefully taking the seat that Freddie still held. Once she was seated, Freddie turned toward Thomas. 

"That will be all, Thomas. I'm sure there are thirsty people waiting for you." She nodded at Thomas as she dismissed him. Once he was gone, Freddie carefully closed the door to her office, letting her hands rest against it for a moment before she snapped around to face Miss Walker. 

"I see you managed to find your way back." Freddie propped a hip against her desk. Sitting behind it would put too much distance between them, distance Freddie didn't think she could handle. How could anyone handle being more than half a meter away from Miss Walker? She would be closer if she could be.

"I did, yes." Miss Walker lit up as her spine straightened. She clasped her hands together on her knees. "I thought to call, but then I realized I never got your name? Which seemed a bit awkward." 

"It's Anne. Lister. Well, Freddie. My friends call me Freddie. _You_ should call me Freddie." Freddie reached out and offered Miss Walker her hand as if to shake it. Miss Walker startled but took Freddie's hand, only to have Freddie turn her own hand over more where they were clasping hands than shaking. She used her other hand to cover Miss Walker's and didn't let go. She just rubbed the back of it. "And you are the inimitable Miss Walker. It is so lovely to officially make your acquaintance." 

Freddie kept looking down at Miss Walker, feeling the smooth skin of her palm where they were connected. She didn't want to let go but she feared she must. 

"Oh, that's…" Miss Walker folded her hands into her lap again, but she looked a bit reluctant to do so. "That is to say… It's wonderful to meet you, Freddie." 

Freddie's smile somehow got bigger. "What can I do for you, Miss Walker? Not lost again, I hope?"

"No," Miss Walker laughed. "Not lost this time." She looked down at her oversized purse before looking up at Freddie again. "Actually, I came to thank you. For the help that day. And for the flowers. The flowers were beautiful." Miss Walker picked up her purse and pulled out a small box of chocolates. She held it out to Freddie. "I didn't know… I assumed everyone likes chocolate." 

"Thank you." Freddie took the box from Miss Walker's hands and placed it gently on her desk. "That was quite thoughtful." She would linger over the chocolates later, once she was alone. A roar went up from the bar that could be heard all the way in Freddie's office. Freddie winced. "Would you like to get out of here? Have dinner with me? Perhaps someplace less… overrun with students?" 

"Is there anywhere in town not overrun with students tonight?" Miss Walker's eyes sparkled and Freddie felt herself falling in love with that look. 

"I know of exactly the place." Freddie pushed away from her desk and offered her hand to Miss Walker once again. "Do you trust me?"

"I… I barely know you," Miss Walker laughed but she put her hand in Freddie's and allowed her to help her stand. 

"That's true, but you trusted me not to steer you wrong the other day. Do you still trust me not to lead you astray?" They were standing very close together now. Freddie could smell Miss Walker's perfume, something light and floral. She could see the flecks of color in Miss Walker's eyes. She wanted to press in even closer but it was too soon for that. 

"Well, alright." Miss Walker swayed forward a bit before she finally stepped back. "Take me to wherever it is we can escape the students." 

"Excellent." Freddie led Miss Walker out of her office, down the back hallway, and out the side door of the bar. "Don't worry, it isn't too far a walk." With that, they set off in a companionable silence through the business district. Freddie kept her pace in check. Where normally she would go marching off to her destination, she held herself back and stayed in step with Miss Walker. Soon enough, they were in a residential area, surrounded by houses. 

"Might I ask where we're going?" Miss Walker looked around nervously as they progressed further and further into the neighborhood. 

"Didn't I tell you?" Freddie asked though she knew that she hadn't. 

"No. No, I don't believe you did."

"Well, I thought we might go to my house. There are no students about and I've a deft enough hand when it comes to making pasta and the like." Freddie reached into her pocket and withdrew her keys. "It's just here." 

She jingled the keys in her hand as she opened her garden gate and stepped inside, holding it open for Miss Walker. Miss Walker followed her inside the gate and then into the house proper. Freddie flipped on lights as she made her way through the house and into the kitchen, Miss Walker trailing after her. 

"You have a lovely home." Miss Walker smiled at Freddie, her earlier nervousness gone. 

"Thank you." Freddie pulled out a chair at her kitchen table. "Now, I believe I promised you food." 

But Miss Walker didn't sit. Instead, she reached out for Freddie's arm, her hand coming to rest against Freddie's forearm. "Come to think of it, I'm not particularly hungry at the moment." 

"You're not?" Freddie paused to look at Miss Walker, to really take her in. Mischievousness danced in Miss Walker's eyes. 

"No." Miss Walker shook her head. "But, that is, I would certainly like it if you were to kiss me now. That is why you brought me back here, isn't it?" 

It took a moment for Freddie to register exactly what Miss Walker had said and as she did, her smile broadened. 

"That wasn't exactly my thought process, and I would be happy to make you some pasta, but…" Freddie stepped closer to Miss Walker. She brought her hand up to hover a hair's breadth away from Miss Walker's face. She met Miss Walker's eyes and read the desire in them as she slowly leaned in by fractions. After what felt like an eternity, Freddie pressed her lips to Miss Walker's, just the barest brush of lips against lips. Miss Walker… Ann… Ann exhaled lightly and swayed forward bringing their lips into fuller contact. 

Freddie finally touched Ann's face, letting her fingertips brush against Ann's cheek, and Ann whimpered slightly at the touch, shivering with it. She parted her lips and Freddie took advantage by licking over them with her tongue. Eyes fluttering closed, she leaned into Freddie, and Freddie brought her other arm around Ann's waist to hold her close. Ann wrapped her own arms around Freddie's shoulders and clung to her. They stayed like that for long minutes feeling each other, discovering each other, kissing and kissing and kissing until Freddie could barely breathe with it. 

She pulled away and looked down at Ann cautiously. "Was that…" She swallowed. "Was that acceptable then?"

Ann looked up at her in awe, fingertips touching her own lips. "Yes. That was…" She tilted her face up again, inviting Freddie in for another kiss. Freddie enthusiastically granted the request. They lost another chunk of time to the interplay of their lips until they finally had to come up for air. Freddie's hands had found their way to Ann's waist as Ann scratched at the nape of Freddie's neck. Ann leaned forward to rest her forehead against one of Freddie's collarbones as she caught her breath. 

"This isn't… this wasn't my plan when I decided to drop by your bar tonight." Ann said, suddenly looking shy. 

"Wasn't it?" Freddie slid her hands from Ann's waist and took her hands, guiding her down into a chair. Freddie pulled another chair close and sat as well. 

"No, it wasn't." Ann shook her head. "I did just want to thank you for the directions, but, well, you see…" Ann smiled again as she ducked her head. 

"I do. I see." Freddie cupped the side of Ann's face and lifted it up where they could make eye contact. 

"Do you?" Ann squeezed Freddie's hand before she leaned across the space between them and kissed Freddie again. Freddie sighed into the kiss but it ended too soon for her liking. "I think, perhaps it might be time for that pasta." Ann used a hand on Freddie's shoulder to gently but firmly push her away. 

"Of course." Freddie stood and turned back to the kitchen, starting to hunt through her cabinets for ingredients.

* * *

Freddie sat at the desk in her room and pulled down her diary, flipping to the correct page for that day's entry. Her words came easily as her fountain pen scratched against the paper. Miss Walker, Ann now, most assuredly, had stayed long past dinner. They had moved to Freddie's couch where they spent several hours talking and eventually kissing, though Ann had insisted it not go beyond that. Freddie had respected her wishes, not even going so far as to move her hands from Ann's waist, as tempting as Ann's soft flesh may have been. 

Still, Freddie had thrilled at it all, her handwriting becoming a bit messier than usual as she wrote about it. And Vere… For the first time since it had happened, Freddie had completely forgotten about her, too wrapped up in the gloriousness that was Ann to give thought to anything else. And oh, wasn't that liberating? To be so enraptured once again. 

As she recounted the rest of the night, Freddie's smile grew and grew. She already needed to see Ann again. Talking on the phone with her, or even worse, texting, simply wouldn't be enough. That settled it. She would drop by Ann's office the next day. Hopefully, Ann would be in.

* * *

Freddie bounded up the steps to the building that housed Ann's office. A quick search of the university's website had told her where to look for Ann and Freddie hoped that mid-afternoon would find the other woman in her office. A quick jaunt up a staircase left her standing in some sort of outer office where a young man had taken up residence behind a rather impressive desk. 

"Can I help you?" He looked up at her expectantly. 

"Yes, Miss Lister for Miss Walker." She stood up straighter, a grin tugging on her lips. 

"Miss Walker? I can't think of a Miss Walker you'd find here. Unless, of course, you mean _Doctor_ Walker." 

"Yes, quite. Doctor Walker. Is she in?" Freddie rocked forward on her toes. 

"Just let me–" One of the doors opened and drew both of their attention. 

"Freddie?" Ann looked at her in confusion, though she seemed pleased enough. 

"Hello." Freddie smiled expectantly. 

"Come back." Ann waved Freddie toward her office. "Come back." She held the door open until Freddie was through then closed it behind her. "I didn't expect to see you so soon. Come sit down." Ann motioned toward a settee that looked like something out of the 19th century. Other than the laptop sitting on the desk and the desk chair, the entire office looked like something out of the 19th century. 

Freddie took a seat on the settee and was pleased when Ann sat next to her rather than retreating behind her desk. 

"So, what brings you by? Certainly, _you're_ not lost." 

"No, no. I'm exactly where I want to be." Freddie reached over and took Ann's hand. "I realized, last night, we left things a bit open-ended." She rubbed the back of Ann's hand. "And I wanted to know, would you like to go on a ride with me this weekend? On my motorbike?" Freddie searched Ann's face for some hint of acceptance. "We could… take a picnic or something. I don't know. It's just a thought."

"That sounds lovely." Ann squeezed Freddie's hand and a thrill went through Freddie's body. 

"Wonderful. Spectacular." Freddie lifted Ann's hand to her lips and kissed the back of it before Ann extracted it and used it to cup Freddie's face instead. 

"You know, I am quite pleased to see you today." Ann smiled and leaned in to kiss Freddie. 

Freddie placed her hands on Ann's waist and pulled her closer. "I'm pleased that you're pleased," Freddie whispered against Ann's lips. They kissed again, then, again and again, getting closer together with each kiss. Eventually, Freddie had Ann pushed up against the arm of the settee, halfway on top of her. Ann only pulled her closer. Freddie ran her hand up Ann's side and felt Ann shudder. Then, Ann was pushing her back. Freddie tried to catch her breath as she sat up. She pulled Ann up with her. 

"I really shouldn't be doing that at work." Ann put a hand to her blushing cheek as she looked up at Freddie through her eyelashes. She reached out and used her thumb to wipe away a bit of lipstick that had transferred onto Freddie's lips. 

"No. You're right." Freddie shook her head but smiled. "Of course. I mean, of course not. I'm sure you've important work you need to be doing." She took Ann's hands again and lifted them to her lips. "I'll see you tomorrow though, won't I?" 

"Yes." Ann nodded. "Tomorrow morning?"

"Eleven?" Freddie asked. "I'll pick you up?"

"Eleven then." Ann stood up and walked around her desk where she snagged a piece of paper and wrote down her address. She held it out to Freddie. "Do I… Well, do I need to do anything? Bring anything?"

"I'll take care of everything." Freddie stood up as well. "Wear some trousers and I promise you a good time." 

Ann walked back around her desk and placed her hands on Freddie's chest. "That settee is quite uncomfortable. Perhaps tomorrow you'll find somewhere more accommodating?" She tilted her face up and Freddie couldn't stop herself from bending her head down for another brief kiss. 

"I'll see what I can do." Though it pained her, Freddie took a step back and put her hand on the doorknob. "Until tomorrow, Miss Walker. _Doctor_ Walker." Ann smiled and giggled.

"Yes, quite. Tomorrow." At Ann's smile, Freddie opened the door and left. She nodded at the secretary as she passed his desk and skipped down the steps.

* * *

Freddie was still smiling as she pulled the tarp off of her motorbike. It had been nearly a year since she had ridden it, things at the bar had been too busy and the weather had been terrible, but according to the forecast, the next day was slated to be perfect for a mid-day ride. 

She checked the fuel level and the oil level and mounted the bike. A few quick kicks later and the engine rumbled happily beneath her. 

It amazed her how readily Ann had agreed to the trip but it thrilled her as well. She knew just where they would go, not too far down the road, but far enough to make the trip worthwhile, far enough to make it seem like they were apart from the town, a bit isolated, on their own. They could eat and talk, get to know one another better. And if Ann was interested in doing more than talking, so much the better. 

Freddie turned the bike off and dismounted. Yes, the next day would be perfect.

* * *

Freddie sped up and shifted into a higher gear. Ann was hanging onto her waist, pressed against her back. She wore one of Freddie's leather jackets, which swallowed her up entirely in the most adorable way. And seeing Ann's legs in trousers, not hidden behind a skirt as they had been on their previous meetings… Freddie had almost been ready to skip the ride, and the meal, entirely. But instead, she took a deep breath, helped Ann onto her bike, and set off for their destination. They weren't far away now, just a few more hills before the turn-off. 

Seeing the turn-off, Freddie slowed the bike and gently guided them down the road to a small, deserted parking area. After they came to a stop, Freddie twisted around and helped Ann off of the bike before dismounting herself. They both took off their helmets.

"Oh, that was _wonderful_." Ann laughed, her smile radiant and carefree. "I'll admit, I was a bit scared at first, at the idea of it, but once we got going… It's exhilarating, isn't it?" Ann stepped into Freddie's space and kissed her before stepping back. "Does it always feel like that?"

"Always." Freddie looked on in awe. She hadn't been able to coax Vere within a meter of her bike. That Ann so seemed to enjoy it, seemed to understand why she loved it, it was astounding. "It is always exactly like that. Even in the rain. Even in the snow." 

"Now, I don't know about the snow, but I would certainly say yes to more rides like that in the future." Ann spun around and laughed. 

"That's good since I've no other way to get you back to Crow Nest." Freddie reached out and caught Ann's hand, pulling her in close and kissing her again. They stood like that, kissing, reveling in each other, for a long moment before Freddie pulled away. 

"I believe I promised you a picnic."

* * *

Freddie shifted her weight so she was more fully pressed against Ann. A blanket spread out beneath them shielded them from the grass and dirt. Freddie's rolled up leather jacket pillowed Ann's head. Their lips met over and over, tongues brushing and curling against each other. It felt like they had been there for hours. Maybe they had been. Freddie didn't know. While they ate, their conversation wandered from topic to topic as they got to know each other better. 

Freddie found out that Ann loved strawberry ice cream and Ann learned that Freddie had opened her bar when she was just out of school over her father's objections. They learned other things as well, but now they were engaged in discovering a more carnal sort of knowledge of each other. Ann had one hand on Freddie's hip, using it to hold her close as they moved against each other. 

Freddie slipped her leg between Ann's thighs and angled it down, smiling against Ann's lips as Ann gasped and arched up against it. With her free hand, Ann grasped Freddie's hand and guided it toward her breast. Even through Ann's blouse and bra, Freddie could feel the way Ann's nipple pebbled under the touch. Freddie kissed her way down Ann's neck to the collar of her blouse where she sucked lightly. 

Ann whimpered and closed her eyes as she enjoyed Freddie's touch. She clutched at Freddie's shoulders and Freddie pushed into the touch, reassuring Ann that she was there. Ann writhed underneath Freddie as Freddie kissed her lips once again. Freddie trailed her hand toward the buttons of Ann's blouse but as she went to unbutton the first one, Ann reached out and stilled her hand. 

Freddie immediately stopped and looked up at Ann. 

"We're not…" Ann took a deep breath as if she was trying to slow her heartbeat. "We're not having sex for the first time outside on the side of the road." 

"No. No, of course not." Freddie pushed herself up on one arm. She let her other hand rest on Ann's stomach feeling it rise and fall with Ann's breath. Some of Freddie's hair had fallen out of the bun she held it back in and she let go of Ann long enough to push it back behind her ears. "Shall we go back?" 

"Mmm, maybe in a bit." Ann tugged Freddie back on top of her and brought their lips together again.

* * *

Freddie stood in her room staring at herself in her full-length mirror as she undressed. First, her pocket watch came out of her pocket, clinking as it ended up on a side table. Then she focused on the buttons of her fitted waistcoat, which she shrugged out of and hung. Her necktie was next. She removed the tie bar, which joined her watch on the table, then carefully untied the knot, silk slipping through her fingers. It got hung next to the waistcoat. 

Down to her shirtsleeves, she toed off her shoes and pulled off her socks, which went into the hamper. Her braces were next, each side unfastened with nimble fingers. She was quick with the buttons of her starched white shirt, flicking each one open at her wrists and then down the front. The shirt followed her socks as did her undershirt. 

Finally, she unbuttoned, then unzipped her light wool trousers, pushing them down and off before hanging them as well. She unwound her hair and ran her fingers through it, the waves coming down over her shoulders. 

Left in nothing but her bra and boxer-briefs, Anne looked at herself critically trying to see what someone else might see, what Ann might see. Because it certainly seemed like that was the direction they were headed in. After cleaning up their picnic and riding back to town, Freddie had dropped Ann off at her place with a promise to get in touch later. Then she had ridden a loop around the town just to try to calm herself down. 

The afternoon had gone even better than she had expected. They'd barely known each other for a week, but Freddie could already envision a future with Ann. It was too much too fast, but then Freddie always had been impulsive in matters of love. She certainly didn't lead with her brain when she saw a pretty girl, but rarely was her heart quite so affected. 

What was it about Ann Walker that enchanted her so? That had her emotions so entangled so quickly? 

Anne couldn't put a finger on it, but whatever it was, it wasn't going away. 

Anne unclasped her bra and reached for her nightshirt. She pulled it over her head and looked at herself in the mirror once again. Whatever Ann might see, there was no way for Anne to anticipate it. She would simply have to find out when she found out.

* * *

Smiling down at her phone, Freddie walked through the doors of _Anne's_. With the start of the term, Ann had been too busy to meet up with Freddie in person but they'd been texting all week, their latest exchange turning far from innocent. 

Ann was supposed to be meeting her at the bar that night and Freddie couldn't wait. She strode through the bar to her office where she removed her jacket and hung it up. A quick glance at the desktop didn't reveal anything that required her attention so she turned and headed back out to the bar. 

"Thomas," Freddie said. She clapped him on the shoulder as she came around to the other side of the bar and started getting ready for the service that night. "Doctor Walker is going to be coming in tonight. If I'm not around, she gets anything she wants. Whatever it is, you keep her happy, d'you understand?" 

"Yes, ma'am." Thomas nodded. "Doctor Walker gets the VIP treatment." 

"Good lad." Freddie spun around and took in everything going on around her. Satisfied that everything was ready for the night, she settled behind the bar and waited for their first customers.

* * *

Freddie watched the room like a hawk as she shook another cocktail. Ann had said she would be there an hour ago, but she hadn't shown up yet. It wasn't quite enough to make panic– Freddie rarely panicked– but it was enough to give her cause for concern. There was, after all, every possibility that Ann had changed her mind. Or that something worse had happened, though crime was fairly low in the university town. Freddie finished the cocktail, poured it in a glass, and sent it on its way. Perhaps it was time to give Ann a call. 

"I'll be in the back," Freddie said absently to Thomas as she wiped her hands then stepped out from behind the bar. A few short steps later and she entered her office. She pulled her phone from her pocket– no missed calls– and sat heavily down at her desk. She scrolled through her contacts and stopped when she got to Ann's. The phone rang and rang, eventually kicking over to voicemail. Freddie hung up. 

She rubbed her face and tried not to give in to despair. 

Ann didn't seem like the kind of person who would toy with her emotions, but how else to explain her sudden disappearance? Freddie sat back in her chair and called Ann again. Still no answer. Freddie sighed. Perhaps it had been too good to be true. She tossed her phone down on her desk. She almost didn't answer when she heard the knock on her door. Better to wallow alone than inflict herself on anyone else. Still, Thomas knew better than to have disrupted her if it wasn't important. 

"Come in." She slid her phone back in her pocket and stood up as Thomas pushed open the door. Except it wasn't Thomas. It was, "Ann." Freddie's eyes went wide.

Just when she had given up hope…

"Oh, Freddie," Ann stepped into the room, twisting her hands together. "I'm so sorry I'm late." Freddie moved out from behind her desk. "You see, I got caught up with a painting and suddenly it was past eight. I was going to text you, but in my rush, I forgot my phone. I do hope you'll forgive me?" 

"Of course I forgive you." Freddie opened her arms and let Ann throw herself into them. "I was getting a bit worried, but you're here now, and that's what matters." She cupped the back of Ann's head and kissed her temple. 

"I'm _so_ sorry." Ann tightened her grip and nuzzled under Freddie's jaw. She sounded distraught.

"There, there." Freddie soothed her. "You're here now and that's what matters." Freddie framed Ann's face with her hands and peppered it with kisses. Her temple, her cheek, her jaw, and then, eventually, her lips. Ann immediately opened her mouth under Freddie's and deepened the kiss. As the kiss ended, Ann snuggled into Freddie's arms and Freddie was happy to let her. 

"Do you need to stay for the rest of the night?" Ann looked up at Freddie. 

Freddie groaned. "It's Washington's night off. I really can't leave Thomas alone to lock up." She took Ann's hands. "Any other night, I'd be all yours. But," She tilted her head and bent her knees to bring herself down to Ann's level. "We'll set you up at the bar and take care of you. And then… once everyone is gone…" 

Ann smiled for the first time since she had come into Freddie's office. 

"Then we'll go wherever you like." Freddie leaned in and pecked Ann on the lips. 

"Back to your place, I think." Ann smiled before she leaned in and kissed Freddie in a way that left nothing up to the imagination as to how she wanted the night to end.

* * *

Freddie unlocked the door to her house and held it open for Ann. It was quite late and Freddie suppressed a yawn as she turned on a lamp. 

Ann came up behind Freddie and wrapped her arms around Freddie's waist, resting her cheek on Freddie's shoulder blade. Freddie covered Ann's hands with her own. 

"I hate to say it, but I think I might be a bit too tired for this." Ann's voice was muffled against Freddie's back, but Freddie still heard her. 

"Do you want me to take you home?" Even without the possibility of sex, Freddie hoped she answered no. 

Ann shook her head. "Not unless you want to. I rather like the idea of spending the night with you." 

"Come up to bed then." Freddie laced their fingers together and led Ann up the stairs to her bedroom. 

As they entered the room, Freddie let go of Ann's hand to flick on the bedside lamp before she turned and regarded the other woman. She let her eyes linger over Ann's figure, obvious in her appreciation. She watched Ann shiver. 

"I'm sure I've got something you can sleep in. A shirt or something." Freddie turned to rummage through her drawers. She came up with an old t-shirt and a pair of boxers and held them out to Ann. "The ensuite is just through there." Freddie nodded toward the door. 

"Mmm, I don't think I'll be needing it," Ann said as she stepped out of her shoes, unfastened her skirt, and let it fall to the floor. 

Freddie's breath caught in her chest at the display of quite so much pale skin. But Ann wasn't done. She met Freddie's eyes then pulled her blouse up and off, dropping it to the floor with her skirt. She stood in front of Freddie in nothing but her bra and knickers and let Freddie look as much as she pleased even as her chest flushed with it. 

Then, she reached behind herself and unfastened her bra, letting it fall down her arms. Freddie's mouth went dry at the sight of Ann's full breasts and tight nipples. Suddenly she felt much more awake. Ann smirked at her reaction before she picked up the shirt and tugged it on, covering everything once again. 

With that done, Freddie came out of her trance. She took two steps forward and pulled Ann into her arms, ducking her head down to kiss her full on the lips, hard and hot and fast. Ann squeaked then laughed as she kissed Freddie back. But a yawn interrupted them and Ann pulled back. 

"Your turn, I think." Ann reached down and started unbuttoning Freddie's waistcoat. "Let me help?"

"If you like." Freddie nodded and submitted herself to Ann's touch. She removed her pocket watch as Ann finished with her waistcoat, then moved to the buttons of Freddie's shirt. Freddie shrugged out of both of them, pulling her arms through her braces, and tossing everything toward the hamper. She would fish her waistcoat out in the morning. Then Ann's fingers were at her waist, unbuttoning then ever so slowly unzipping Freddie's trousers. She pushed her hands under the waistband and cupped Freddie's ass. Freddie shook with the touch. The trousers slid down her legs and Freddie pulled off her shoes and socks and stepped out of them. Ann started to lift Freddie's undershirt up but Freddie put her hands over Ann's and stilled them. 

"I would prefer… That is…" Freddie reached behind her back and unhooked her bra, sliding it out from beneath her shirt. Ann watched her, stared down at her chest, then looked back up and caught Freddie's eyes. 

"Whatever you're comfortable with." Ann returned her hands to Freddie's waist. It felt odd to Freddie to be the one comforted rather than to be the one comforting but she was grateful nonetheless.

Freddie leaned in and kissed Ann. She lingered over Ann's lips, brushing her own against them, cupping her face, keeping her close. They molded their bodies together, breasts to hips to thighs until finally it was progress forward or stop. Freddie respected Ann too much to pressure her, so she stepped away, though she was breathing heavily. 

"We should…" Freddie swallowed and lightly took Ann's arms in her hands. "It's late." 

"Right. No, you're right." Ann nodded. Freddie let go and they moved toward the bed together. Freddie pulled down the duvet and slipped into her side meeting Ann in the middle. She opened her arms and Ann settled into them. Freddie reached over and turned the light off before she finally wrapped her arms around Ann. She thought it might take her a while to find sleep, but it turned out that sleep came quickly.

* * *

Anne woke up to a pleasant weight draped across her chest and a smile crept across her lips. She shifted a little, just to see if Ann was awake yet, and got a mumbled reply as Ann snuggled closer. Awake then. Or something approaching it. Anne ran a hand down Ann's back and kissed the top of her head. 

"Mmm…" Ann shifted and lifted her head. "Good morning." She leaned up for an easily granted kiss. 

"Did you sleep well?" For her part, Anne had slept incredibly well. 

"Mmmhmm." Ann pressed in and demanded another kiss which Anne was happy to return. Before Anne could do anything though, Ann rolled fully on top of her, straddling her hips and leaning down over her. "I find myself quite well rested." She caught Anne's lips again, quickly deepening the kiss. 

"Do you?" Anne brought her hands to rest on Ann's waist, running them up to her ribs and back down again, a broad smile on her lips. 

"Mmm." Ann ran her hands under the hem of Anne's undershirt. Anne's breath stuttered at the feeling of Ann's palms against her skin. "Can I take this off of you now?"

"I wish you would." Anne flexed her muscles to lift herself off of the bed and allow Ann to pull off her shirt. Once it was gone, she relaxed back into the bed, arms crossed under her head and unconcerned with her toplessness. 

Defined abs led up to small breasts but judging by her gaze, Ann seemed pleased enough with the view. She reached down and stripped her own shirt off and suddenly Anne wasn't content to remain still any longer. She reached up and tangled her fingers in Ann's hair, guiding her down for an exploratory kiss.

Anne inhaled sharply when their breasts brushed together, hard nipples catching against hard nipples. She moaned into Ann's lips and finally covered Ann's breasts with her hands massaging them lightly before she brought her fingers to Ann's nipples and tugged. 

Ann hissed in pleasure and pressed her chest forward into Anne's hands. Soft skin. Soft flesh. And all hers, at least for the moment. Anne pushed herself up again and took one of Ann's nipples into her mouth. Ann shuddered over her, burying her hands in Anne's hair and holding her close as she panted, trying to catch her breath. 

Anne moved from one nipple to the other licking over it and around it and doing what she could to make it impossible for Ann to calm down. 

After what felt like forever, Anne tumbled Ann off of her hips and down into the bed. Ann laughed joyfully as she bounced in place. Anne dove on top of her, pinning her down with her body and kissing across her chest and down her stomach. She hooked her fingers in the sides of Ann's knickers and drug them down her legs until she could toss them away. 

Ann spread her legs and that was invitation enough for Anne to nestle between them. She reached for Ann's hand as she kissed her way down Ann's stomach. Fingers twined together, Ann parted Anne's lips with her other hand and buried her mouth between Ann's legs. She licked and lapped at the wetness between Ann's thighs, running her tongue from Ann's entrance to her clit and back again. 

Ann sighed above her and closed her eyes. "God, Freddie," Ann gasped as Anne hit a particularly good spot. The name was nearly enough to take Anne out of it, but she shook it off, held Ann's hand a little harder and redoubled her efforts. Certainly, she had been called Freddie by other lovers in the past, but she found she wanted Ann to know Anne, to know the woman under the suits. But that was a conversation for later. For now, she would focus on making Ann feel as good as she possibly could. 

Anne focused her tongue on Ann's clit, rubbing it and circling it and hunting for the touch that made Ann's breath hitch just so, that made her hips move in just the right way. It took only a few minutes to find and then Anne set about trying to make Ann come. 

Then, Ann started to spasm above her, muscles going taught, contracting in on themselves. Anne kept licking until Ann stilled and tugged on her hand. Anne crawled back up Ann's body and came to rest against her, tilting her face up for a long kiss.

Ann giggled against Anne's lips and pulled her closer. "Oh, just give me a few moments and I'll…" Ann's chest heaved as she tried to catch her breath. 

"That isn't… That is to say, I would prefer it if…" 

Ann looked at Anne very seriously. "You don't want me to touch you?" 

"I… My breasts are fine. Excellent, even, but I would prefer to… finish things off myself." Anne searched Ann's face to see if she could accept her request. 

"Alright." Ann nodded and leaned in to kiss Anne once again. "If that's what you need, then that's what we'll do." 

Anne couldn't believe it was quite that easy, but she was relieved. 

"Can I… Can I get on top of you again?" 

"I'd love it if you would." Anne pulled at Ann's arm and guided her back up to straddle her hips once again. Ann smiled down at her and leaned in for a kiss. Anne sighed into it and arched up as Ann's hands found her breasts. As Ann occupied herself with Anne's nipples, Anne slipped a hand under the waist of her boxer-briefs. She pushed through wiry hair and fingered her own clit. She was already so wet, so ready. It wouldn't take much to make herself come but she did what she could to hold off. She touched herself as lightly as possible as she reveled in the feeling of Ann on top of her, of her own fingers coated in wetness. 

Anne balanced herself on the edge of her orgasm for as long as she could wanting the moment to last as long as it could, but finally, she couldn't wait anymore. With a quick swipe of her fingers, white blossomed behind her eyes as she curled up into Ann. She gasped as she came to rest on the bed again. 

Ann tumbled to the side and looked at Anne in adoration. She took Anne's hands in her own and brushed kisses over her knuckles. "I think I'm falling in love with you." Ann smiled brilliantly. "I don't care that it's too soon. I think I am."

Anne reached out and brushed some hair out of Ann's face. "Wonderful. Simply marvelous. Wonderful."

**Author's Note:**

> Comments are amazing
> 
> I'm on tumblr @twtd11


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